Manufacture of saturated perfluorocarbons by the catalytic pyrolysis of fluoroform



United States Patent 3,202,720 MANUFACTURE or sarunarnn rEuFLUoRo- CARBONS BY THE CATALYTEC PYRULYSIS (PF FLUGROFORM Murray Hauptschein, Glenside, and Arnold H. Fainberg,

Elkins Park, Pa, assignors to Pennsalt Chemicals Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania No Drawing. Filed Dec. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 162,944

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 260-653) This invention relates tothe production of fluorocar-' Patented Aug. 24, 1965 ice modified by the presence of other materials. In particular, it has been found that when the activated carbon is impregnated with a chloride of a metal of group IIA of that patent, it was found that the uncatalyzed pyrolysis of fluoroform produces perfluoroolefins, particularly tetrailuoroethylene and hexaflu-oropropene, :as the major prod uct, with only small quantities of saturated fluorocarbons.

In accordance with the present invention, it has now been found that when the pyrolysis of fluoroform is carried out in the presence of an activated carbon catalyst, the production of saturated fiuorocarbons, particularly saturated perfluorocarbons in the C to C range, is greatly increased at the expense of the unsaturated products. By proper selection of the pyrolysis temperature, a product may be obtained consisting largely of saturated perfluorocarbons principally CFgC F and C F ','and containing only small amounts of olefinic products. These lower saturated perfluorocarbons display a high degree of chemical inertness and thermal stability, and

are useful as low temperature refrigerants, heat exchange fluids and dielectric media.

Contact time (seconds) catalyst bed.

Any of the various types of activated carbons in granular or powder form may be employed: As well recognized in the art, activated carbon is characterized by its high surface area resulting from a highly porous structure. Typically, activated carbons have surface areas (as determined for example by gas adsorption techniques) of the order of 200 to 1500 square meters the periodic table of elements such as magnesium chloride, or strontium chloride and particularly barium chloride, there is a tendency to form increased amounts of 'C F and C l-' and lesser amounts of CF and also a tendency to suppress the formation of olefins. The impregnation of the activated carbon with the metal chloride is conveniently accomplished by impregnating the activated carbon with an aqueous solution of the chloride followed by drying to deposit the desired amount of metal chloride uniformly distributed over the surface of the activated carbon. Generally, the amount of metal chloride may range from 1 to 50%. by weight of the weight of the activated carbon and more usually in the range of from about 10 to 40%.

The catalytic pyrolysis reaction of the invention is carried out at temperatures of from about 500 to 1200 C. Optimum temperatures of operation will generally lie in the range of from 650 to 1000 C. where the best combination of relatively high conversions and good yields of saturated perfluorocabons in the C to C range will generally be obtained.

The contact time of the reactantswith the catalyst may vary over a wide range depending upon the temperature employed. As the temperature increasesshorter contact times are used. Thus, contact times as long as 10 minutes at the lower temperatures to as short as 0.001 second at the upper temperature limit may be employed. In the preferred temperature range of from 650 to 1000 C., contact tims of from about 0.5 to 60 seconds will generally be used. As the term is used herein, contact time is defined as follows:

' volume occupied by catalyst bed t volume of gas per second (calculated .at reaction temperature and pressure) fed to the Reaction pressure is not critical and may be atmospheric, subatmospheric, or super-atmospheric. While atmospheric pressure operation will generally be found per gram. They are usually prepared from various carbonaceous materials such as bituminous coal, wood, coconut shell, petroleum residuefand the like by destructive distillation or other techniques providing a porous structure of high surface area. V

The activated carbon catalyst can be used in any desired form, e.g., in the form of a fixed bed of granules or pellets, e.g., to 2" in size, or as a fluidized bed of fine particles in accordance with well known fluidized bed techniques. When employed as a fixed bed of pellets, the reactor may conveniently consist of tubes having a diameter of, e.g., /2 to 6" packed with pellets or granules of the activated carbon; The catalyst bed can be. heated by any desired means such as by an electricfur nace surrounding the catalyst-packed tube. The catalyst tube should be constructed of materials resistant to attack temperatures.

or the like.

The activated carbon catalyst can be used as such, or

most convenient, sub-atmospheric pressuresranging as low as about 25 mm. Hg as a practical limit may be found useful in some cases. Super-atmospheric pressures may range, e.g., upto about 10 atmospheres.

The composition of the pyrolysis products will vary somewhat depending upon the reaction conditions, partice ular-ly the temperature. In general, higher temperatures favor higher proportions of unsaturated fluorocarbons. Optimum yields of saturated fluorocarbons are generally obtained in the intermediate range of temperatures of 650 to. 1000 C. A particularly preferred range. for maximum yields of saturated fluorocarbons and good conversions is in the range of from about 700 to 950 C. The olefinic products are principally tetra-fluoroethylene, hexafluoropropene, and C olefins, mainly periluoroisobutylene. If desired, the olefinic .product may be recycled with fresh fluoroform feed to increase the overall yield of saturated fluorocarbons.

In addition to saturated perfluorocarbons ranging from OR; to C F there is sometimes produced small amounts of perfluorocarbon monohydrides, such as C HF and C3HF7L hydrogen. fluoride split off during the pyrolysis to perfluoroolefins also formed in the situ during the pyrolysis.

While the invention does not depend upon any particular reaction mechanism, it is probable that the reaction These are probably formed by the addition'of fiuoroform per volume of catalyst per hour was used (contact time of about 2 seconds). The reactor efiiuent is passed through a hydrogen fluoride scrubber consisting of a tube packed with sodium fluoride in pellet form Table I Percent conversion of fiuoroform tc Ex- Temp., Space ample C. velocity per hour Total Total Total product saturates llUSltu- CF; 1% C3F5 C4Fio CzFH C F C41 5 ra es 600 60 17.6 17.6 13. 6 3.8 0.2 650 60 55. 0 55. 0 43. 4 10. 8 0. 8 675 60 58. 9 58. 9 4S. 2 10. l O. 6 700 60 80. 6 80. 6 70. 2 9. 8 0. 6 725 60 83.0 83. 0 71. 0 10.0 1. 1 750 60 88. 4 87. 7 75. 2 9. 9 2. 3 775 60 89. 3 88. 4 69. 2 14. 7 4. 0 800 60 92. l 90. 3 61. 0 22. 5 6. 4 825 60 93. 3 90. 1 48. 3 34. 2 7. 2 880 60 94. 4 90. 6 31. 9 53. 1 5. 1 700 480 33. 6 33. 6 27. 6 5. 7 0. 3 725 480 40. 4 40. 4 33. 8 6. 2 0. 4 750 480 44. 0 44. 0 37. 6 6. 0 0. 5 775 480 48. 4 48. 3 40. 6 6. 6 0. 8 800 480 49. 3 48. 7 39. 2 7. 7 1. 4 825 480 54. 9 50. 6 35. 2 11. 3 2. 9

The presence of hydrogen fluoride in the reaction product and the deposition of free carbon on the catalyst in the course of the reaction both lend support to the above reaction course.

The following examples illustrate the invention:

EXAMPLES 1 TO 16 A center section of a nickel tube having an inside diameter of 'M3" is packed with 82.5 grams (170 milliliters) of granules of activated carbon of a size passing through a 6 mesh standard sieve and retained on a 16 held at 100 C. where hydrogen fluoride is removed, and then collected in refrigerated receivers. Analyses are made by gas-liquid chromatography and infrared spectra.

From the total product analyses, the percent conversion of EXAMPLES 17 TO 22 Using the same equipment as in Examples 1 to 16, a series of runs was made over an activated carbon catalyst impregnated with 30% by weight of barium chloride.

mesh standard sieve. A portion of this catalyst weighing 70.6 grams and having The activated carbon employed is obtained by the a bulk volume of 170 milliliters is employed. Fluorodestructive distillation of bituminous coal and has a form is passed through the catalyst bed at space velocities total surface area of 1050 to 1150 square meters per gram varying from 60 to 480 volumes of fluoroform (at 0 C. and a pore volume (within particle) of about 0.8 cubic r and 760 mm. Hg) per volume of catalyst per hour (concentimeter per gram. tact times ranging from about 2 to 20 seconds) at various The catalyst bed is heated by an insulated electric temperatures ranging from 700 to 800 C. Product furnace concentric with the tube and 24" in length. analyses and percent conversion of fluoroform to various Temperatures are measured by a thermocouple placed in products is determined as in Examples 1 to 16. The a slot in the outer wall of the tube at the center of the results of 6 runs are summarized in Table II. furnace. In the series of runs shown in Table II it is to be noted Fluoroform is passed through the catalyst bed at various that the presence of the barium chloride resulted in higher temperatures. In one set of runs [Examples 1 through conversions to C F and C 1 and correspondingly lower 10] a space velocity of volumes of fiuoroform (calcuconversions to CE; in contrast to the results obtained lated at S.T.P., i.e., 0 C. and 760 mm. Hg) per volume 60 in runs 1 to 16 where unmodified activated carbon is of catalyst bed per hour (contact time of about 15 to 20 employed. Compare for instance Example 4 with Exseconds) was employed. In a second series of runs ample 17; Example 6 with Example 20; and Example 8 (Examples 11 to 16) a space velocity of 480 volumes of with Example 22.

Table II Percent conversion of Mel percent Space Fluoroform toyield Example Temp. velocity C. per hour Total CF4 CgFu CaFg CF; CzFg 03F; product EXAMPLES 23 AND 24 A 32" long section of a nickel tube having a /8 inside diameter is packed with 191.5 grams of activated carbon granules having the size range as in Example 1 to 16. A central 12" section of the catalyst bed is heated by means of an insulated electric furnace concentric with the catalyst tube to provide a heated catalyst bed section of 136 milliliters volume. Temperaturesare measured by a thermocouple placed in a slot in the outer wall of the tube at the center of the furnace.

Product anal- 15 The results of the two runs at temperatures of rises pyrolyzing fluoroform in the presence of a catalytic mass consisting of at least predominantly activated carbon at a temperature of from 500 to 1200 C.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which said pyrolysis'is carried out at a temperature of from 650 to 1000 C.

3. A method for preparing predominantly saturated perfiuorocarbons having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which comprises pyrolyzing fluoroform at a temperature of from 500 to 1200 C. in the presence of a catalytic mass consisting at least predominantly of activated carbon impregnated with a metal chloride selected from the class consisting'of the chlorides of the metalsof Group IIA of the periodic table of elements.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 in which said metal chloride is barium chloride.

5. A method of preparing predominantly saturated perfiuorocarbons having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which comprises pyrolyzing fluoroform at a temperature of from 650 to 1000 C. in the presence of a catalytic mass consisting at least predominantly of activated carbon impreg- Note that in these runs at higher temperatures considernated with a metal chloride selected from the class conable amounts of perfiuoroolefins ranging from C F to C F were produced as co-products. It may be further noted that the olefins are produced chiefly at the expense of CR; production which is a major product at the lower temperatures used in Examples 1 to 22 and only a minor sisting of the chlorides of the metals of Group HA of the periodic table of elements. v

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 in which said metal chloride is barium chloride.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,573 5/51 Downing et al. 260-653 3,009,966 11/61 Hauptschein et al 260-653 3,016,405 1/ 62 Lovejoy 260-653 LEON ZITVER, Primary Examiner.

ALPHONSO D. SULLIVAN, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD FOR PREPARING PREDOMINANTLY SATURATED PERFLUOROCARBONS HAVING 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS WHICH COMRISES PYROLYZING FLUOROFORM IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC MASS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST PREDOMINANTLY ACTIVATED CARBON AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 500* TO 1200C. 